Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge funds will target the state's neediest children

CHICAGO - December 6, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced Illinois has been awarded a $34.8 million Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support quality early childhood education in Illinois.

Illinois was one of only 14 states selected for the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge. The grant funds will help Illinois connect children most at risk of school failure with high-quality early learning programs.

"Illinois has been a leader in early learning for decades and we will now be able to further strengthen that leadership through the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge," Governor Quinn said.  "The achievement gap begins before a child steps into kindergarten. Empowering our children with a solid education foundation before they begin kindergarten is the most crucial investment we can make in a future workforce that will drive economic growth in Illinois."

The Illinois State Board of Education, Department of Human Services and Department of Children and Family Services will work together to improve the quality of all early learning and development programs in the state through this grant.  The federal grant will be used to: create a new Quality Rating and Improvement System to inform parents about program quality through a website that will be fully implemented in July 2014. In addition, the grant will help communities connect children with the greatest needs to high-quality programs, strengthen the quality of early learning programs, and support the development of great teachers for early learning programs.  These funds will also allow the state to make important one-time investments to improve efficiency, streamline program administration and data systems and evaluate effectiveness for early childhood programs.

"Making sure young children and their families get the support they need to prepare children for success in school and later life requires coordinated effort from all of our agencies," said Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Michelle Saddler.

"Early childhood funding is one of the best investments we can make for the success and prosperity of future generations and our Illinois economy," said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. "These funds will allow us to improve our infrastructure to better serve early learners and make more efficient use of state resources toward that purpose."

Illinois was one of five states eligible to compete for the second round of the grant, which was submitted in October to the U.S. Department of Education.  The state was one of 35 states to apply for the first round of funding and was found eligible to apply for the second round based on its performance.

Illinois' application is designed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of early childhood education in Illinois by taking a patchwork of early learning programs and integrating them into a unified system and increasing early childhood program quality?making sure that all programs provide quality education and helping already good programs become great.

To learn more about the Illinois plan for the Early Learning Challenge, please visit:  http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/OECD/Pages/EarlyLearningChallenge.aspx

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Des Moines, December 6, 2012? The Iowa Supreme Court has appointed District Judge Mary Ann Brown, Burlington, as Chief Judge of the Eighth Judicial District. Judge Brown succeeds Chief Judge James Q. Blomgren who will retire December 6, 2012.

"Judge Brown is an excellent judge with experience as an attorney and on the bench," Chief Justice Mark Cady said. "The supreme court is confident she has the skills needed to be a fine chief judge and a strong leader in the Eighth Judicial District."

Judge Brown was appointed district judge in September 2001. She received her bachelor's degree from Drake University in 1981 and her law degree from the Drake University School of Law in 1984. Judge Brown worked as a prosecutor for the Des Moines County Attorney's Office from 1985 to 1990. She was in private practice with Bauer, Schulte, Hahn, Swanson & Brown from 1990 to 2001. Judge Brown is a member of the Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission, The Eighth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services Board of Directors, the Iowa Judges Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, the Des Moines County Bar Association, and served as past chair of the Iowa Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporters. She is also a member of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois Board of Directors and, in 2000, she received a Bar Association Community Service award.

"I am honored and humbled to have been selected a Chief Judge for the Eighth Judicial District," Judge Brown said. "As Iowans we can all be proud of the outstanding court system in this state. It will be a privilege to have this opportunity to work with all the outstanding, hardworking judges and other court staff in this judicial district. Working together we will successfully meet the ever changing challenges to efficiently and effectively serve the legal needs of our citizens."

As chief judge, Judge Brown will supervise all judicial officers and court employees in the district, supervise the performance of administrative and judicial business in the district, set the times and places of holding court, designate presiding judges, and serve on the judicial council, which advises the supreme court on administrative matters affecting the trial courts. In addition, she will continue to preside over cases.

The Eighth Judicial District is located in southeast Iowa and comprises 14 counties: Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee (with two county seats?Fort Madison and Keokuk), Louisa, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington. The district has 11 district judges, seven district associate judges, one associate juvenile judge, four senior judges, 13 part-time magistrates, and 156 employees, with an operating budget for the current fiscal year of approximately $14.2 million. A total of 73,056 cases were filed in the Eighth Judicial District last year.

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Des Moines (December 6, 2012) - Two eastern black rhinoceros have arrived at Blank Park Zoo in preparation for the new $4 million Africa exhibit opening next spring.

"Rhinoceros are the perfect addition to the Blank Park Zoo. They are a very large animal that will be popular with our guests. They are also an animal in great danger in the wild as poachers are killing them at devastating rates because of the value of their horns," said Mark Vukovich, CEO of Blank Park Zoo. "We want to raise awareness about this because it's possible that within our lifetime these animals will be extinct in the wild."

According to the International Rhino Foundation, there are less than 5,000 black rhinos left in the wild and less than 30,000 of all species of rhinos.

Blank Park Zoo acquired two black rhinoceros, a male named Kiano and a female named Ayana. The rhinos are part of a breeding program called a species survival plan (SSP), and zoo officials hope they will breed when they become mature. This program's goal is to maintain a sustainable population of black rhinos in zoos. The male came from the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the female came from Zoo Miami in Florida. Ayana was born in August 2010 and weighs 1,900 pounds and Kiano was born in October 2010 and weighs just over 1,000 pounds.

Ayana and Kiano are now going through a required thirty day 'quarantine' process which helps the animals become accustomed to their new home and keepers monitor their health and stress. Once this process is completed, keepers will begin to introduce the animals to each other.

About Black Rhinoceros (source: International Rhino Foundation, www.rhinos.org)

The black rhinoceros has two horns, with the front one being the larger of the two. They can weigh up to 3,000 pounds and be 5.5 feet tall at shoulder height and up to 12.5 feet long if you include the head and body. The black rhino has a prehensile lip that is well-suited for grasping branches, leaves and shrubs. This is the species' most distinguishing characteristic. The black rhino lives in Africa, primarily in grasslands, savannahs and tropical bush lands. Female rhinos reach maturity at four to seven years of age while males reach maturity at seven to ten years. Between 1970 and 1992, the wild population of this species has decreased by 96 percent. The term 'black rhino' is believed to come about because of the color of the soil the rhino covers itself with while wallowing in the mud. Unlike the white rhino, black rhinos are only semi-social and do not live in herds.

About Blank Park Zoo

Blank Park Zoo, Iowa's WILDEST Adventure, is open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. seven days a week this winter. The Zoo will be closed Dec. 24 & 25, & Jan. 1. Winter Admission rates are $7 for adults, $3 for children under 12, and $6 for seniors and active military. Children two years and under and Blank Park Zoo members are free. The Zoo is located at 7401 SW 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50315. Visit the Zoo online at http://www.blankparkzoo.com. The Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) The AZA is America's leading accrediting organization that sets rigorous, professional standards for zoos and aquariums. The AZA is building North America's largest wildlife conservation movement by engaging and inspiring the 143 million annual visitors to its member institutions and their communities to care about and take action to help protect wildlife.